Biosphere

Satellites help scientists observe biological processes around the globe, such as the greening of terrestrial vegetation in the spring or blooms of aquatic organisms in the ocean.

The SeaWiFS instrument aboard the OrbView-2 spacecraft has collected data that are revolutionizing our understanding of how our home planet lives and breathes. These animations show seasonal changes in the concentration of chlorophyll-bearing, photosynthesizing organisms (shown in green) on land and in the ocean, providing a glimpse of the complex responses of these organisms to changes in insolation, temperature, nutrient availability, rainfall, and other environmental factors.

Source: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, The SeaWiFS Project and ORBIMAGE, Scientific Visualization Studio. NOTE: These SeaWiFS images and data are for research and educational use only.